VEGETATIVE FEATURES

Thallus habit: erect, bushy attached by a crustose base. Size: 2-12cm high. Branching: pinnate, irregular, more or less dense (A). Intergenicula: cylindrical (slightly tapered) to compressed near the insertion of lateral branches (B): 2-4 (5)mm long x 0.2mm in diameter (ex. 0.6-0.75mm x 0.37-0.45mm). Branches: lying on different planes (A). Genicula: one row of medullary cells 125-275µm long. Colour of living specimen: pale pink, coral red (rare) to violet. Colour of dried specimen: from violet grey to white ivory. 

Basal crust: medulla, cells: (12) 15-20 (30)µm long x 7-8µm in diameter. Medulla: cells: 40-50 (80)µm long x 5-7µm in diameter. Cortex: 15-80µm thick, cells 5-18µm. Epithallial cells: rounded to irregular, 6-13µm in diameter. Cell connections: cell fusions. Other features: trichocytes often slightly smaller than surrounding concavities, located at the junction of several contiguous cells with a swollen base and with a pore sometimes surrounded by a raised rim in relief (C) (Economou-Amilli et al. 1990).

Tetra/bisporangial conceptacles: uniporate, terminal, pedunculate, globoid with mucro, pear-shaped, cup-like or hemispherical (sessile) (D); diameter up to 500µm; never corniculated. Phenology: from March to October. 

Habitat: epilithic species, sometimes on shells; recorded in rocky pools, on littoral wet by splashes or on exposed rocks. Bathymetric distribution: littoral to sublittoral. Geographic distribution (Babbini & Bressan 1997):

Alboran Sea (A): Spain, Morocco; Western Mediterranean Sea (African shores) (B): Algeria, Tunisia; Middle Western Mediterranean Sea (C): Spain, France, Italy; North Western Mediterranean Sea (D): Spain, France, Italy; North Adriatic Sea (E): Italy, Slovenia, Croatia; Middle Adriatic Sea (F): Italy; South Adriatic Sea (G): Italy, Albania; South Eastern Mediterranean Sea (H): Italy, Malta, Libya, Israel; Middle Eastern Mediterranean Sea (L): Italy, Greece, Turkey, Syria; North Eastern Mediterranean Sea (M): Greece Turkey.